The 37-year-old point guard is staring down the start of his 15th NBA season with 1126 games under his belt and more than 37000 minutes played. He will cross the 40000-minute mark this season if he averages 30 minutes per game.

"I could still play 35 minutes" Miller said. "Coming back here I was slowed down (last year). I was doing well in Portland playing 33 34 minutes a game and the situation was I was traded back here and basically told I would be a backup. I still feel I can play a high amount of minutes but teams have what they are doing and I have to fall in line."

This training camp has started like so many of the others for Miller. He practices full time and plays part time just as much as he needs to get in shape for the regular season. He has always been a coach's favorite in Denver and this season is no different — even if the man calling the shots is.

New Nuggets coach Brian Shaw is a big fan.

"I think he still has something in the tank" Shaw said. "It's really a matter of what he's accepting of in terms of his role. He's been one of the most underrated players in this league for a long time. What he does out there doesn't look pretty but it's effective."

Coaches may love Miller's game but there probably isn't a Nugget who is more of a target of fans' ire. There probably isn't a Nugget with his ears closed more tightly to that white noise.

He hit a game-winning shot in the Nuggets' first playoff game last spring but sports-talk radio and social media soon moved on to criticism of his defense and by the end of the series the conclusion was he had to go.

Those fans didn't get their way despite chatter during the summer that Miller was on the trading block. He claims not to have heard any of the criticism and flat-out ignored any trade talk.